In September, Merops apiasters, inhabiting at the Tokumut National Wetland Park in Burqin County of Altay Prefecture, NW China’s Xinjiang, will return to Southern Europe and North Africa along the migration route for winter. The Merops apiaster, a summer migratory bird, is a medium-sized bird of the bee-eater family. It is also named as yellow-throated bee-eater because of its bright yellow throat.

Yellow-throated bee-eaters mainly live at the foot of mountains and in open plains where trees grow on hanging rocks, steep slopes and river valleys. In winter, they sometimes also appear in plain jungles, shrubs, and even reed swamps.

From April to May each year, the yellow-throated bee-eaters migrate from Africa and South Asia to many places in Xinjiang. In September, they return to Southern Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and South Asia to spend winter along the migration route. (Correspondent: Sun Xiang)